Are You Afraid of the Dark?
by FueledByDonuts
Summary: After suffering major losses in the big city, the O'Donnell family relocate to the remote town of Eureka, Kansas in an attempt to start a new life. They move into a mansion that's accompanied by a motel, unaware that both are plagued by the hungry ghosts of their former residents who are unable to move on to the afterlife. Rated 'M' for language, violence and strong sexual content.


**When you see the ':' symbol, play the song "The Eternal" by Joy Division. When you see it again, stop the music, if it hasn't stopped playing already. Enjoy...**

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Red and orange leaves flew around the magenta car's sides as the vehicle rocketed down the deserted road. They were easily going twenty above the speed limit, but since they hadn't drove past a car nearly twenty miles back, a little more pressure on the gas petal didn't seem like it would hurt anybody. The driver, a Guinea baboon, turned to her right to look at her passenger and made an ugly face.

"I said, no feet on the dashboard!" Darla yelled at her friend who had broken this rule multiple times while on their trip. She quickly smacked her friend Jillian's shoulder in order for her to get off of her phone.

Jillian rolled her eyes as she removed her legs from the dashboard and placed her feet on the seat. "Okay, fine," she sighed.

"Don't be like this; we're supposed to be having fun. This whole thing was supposed to be fun." Darla said as she fixed her eyes back on the road.

"Well, how is this supposed to be fun if you keep getting angry at every little thing I do?" Jillian snapped.

"Like I said a million times before, I like to keep things organized, clean and orderly. You're in _my_ car, you follow the–"

At that time, the entire vehicle shuddered, the car's wheel locked, and smoke began to erupt from the front of the car as the vehicle sputtered. Darla acted quick, slowly stepping on the brakes but was thrown back when she couldn't turn the wheel. Thank goodness they were in an empty road or else they would've easily have been rear ended.

"What the fuck?" Jillian reacted.

"Language!" Darla snapped.

"Is that really what you're worried about?" Jillian snapped back.

The car finally came to a halt; more white smoke erupted from the hood of the car. Darla unbuckled her seatbelt, "I think we blew a gasket," she said before hopping out of the car. The baboon walked towards the front of the car, her hand pressed against her nose and mouth, preventing her from inhaling much of the smoke.

Darla met the front of the car and ever so lightly, placed her hand under the grill of the car, feeling around. Her fingertips began to blister with pain from the intense heat. Once she found the lever, she pulled quickly, popping the hood of the car which allowed smoke to billow out from the vehicle's engine, blinding the woman with its intense heat.

She stepped away from her car, choking on the smoke that made its way into her lungs. Jillian popped her head out the window, "You okay?" she asked with a little bit of concern in her voice.

Darla looked at her car.

 _What the hell happened?_ She thought to herself.

"Do you think we can fix it?" Jillian asked.

"I don't know, Carol usually deals with this stuff, and she's hundreds of miles back that way." Darla replied, pointing her finger down the road they had already covered. Darla could her Jillian's groans from where she stood. The female baboon walked around the car and toward Jillian's side.

"Let me see the map," Darla ordered.

Jillian looked at her phone and made a frown. "Damn map is taking forever to load!" she yelled in shock.

Darla reached inside and opened the glove compartment, grabbing the physical copy, "That's why we have these, stupid," Darla replied, lightly hitting her friend on the head with the map.

The baboon opened the map and tried pinpointing their position. "We were driving for a good two and a half hours now, going seventy on the dot, which means we're probably more than a few hundred miles from Kansas City. . . maybe one hundred fifty miles? That should place us. . ." she ran her finger over the map and stopped, "Here." her finger landed on the small city of Eureka.

"Eureka," Darla announced.

"I mean, you didn't solve the hardest problem in the world. . ." Jillian sighed.

"No, I mean the city's called Eureka. We should be somewhere close by, actually." Darla said, taking her eyes off of the map and fixed them down the road. She could make something out in between the wall of trees.

Darla gave Jillian the map and took off running down the road. Jillian unbuckled her seatbelt and exited the car herself, "Hey! Where are you going?!" she screamed as she watched her friend run down the road like a maniac. Darla stopped for a second and yelped in excitement. She then made her way back to the car.

"Get your bag," Darla ordered Jillian as she ran past her.

"What? Why?"

"Because, I think our prayers have been answered!" the baboon answered in excitement with a trace of relief.

. . .

 **:**

Cicadas sang in the distance as Darla and Jillian walked down the side of the road, later coming across the start of a pale, steaming sidewalk that was a part of the building ahead. The large, fading neon sign that Darla made out earlier, that read the building's name, **THE PINK PALACE** , stood behind a short brick wall that was topped with black iron spikes. Coming to the end of the brick wall, the wide entrance of the motel showed the building's generic architecture behind the large iron gates.

Darla and Jillian looked at each other before entering. The so called 'Pink Palace' didn't really live up to its name. The motel rather looked a ghostly orange than a bright pink. The two friends walked through the large parking lot. The motel was three stories in height, with thirteen vehicles parked in the lot. The motel was built in the traditional 'L' shape like most around the nation. Each floor had twelve rooms, with one set of stairs that sat at the far corner of the building.

Jillian scanned the building, looking at the many rooms the motel had to offer, and with the number of cars parked in the parking lot, it seems as if this place doesn't get many residents. The two walked up to the main office, opening the two glass doors, and being greeted with the smell of something burning. Darla covered her nose as a reflex from being slapped in the face by the strong odor.

The two walked down the dimly lit office where no one was present. The front desk was settled at the far left corner of the small lobby. Wooden plaques and pictures of happy residents hung from the walls, grey chairs were lined on the right side of the lobby and were coupled with two small wooden desks that were placed on either side, which seemed to be the waiting area.

Both baboons walked up to the front desk before Darla lightly tapped on the brass call bell. The _ding_ let out by the small bell felt like it had echoed through the entire room as the sound slowly died out.

Jillian turned to her Darla; "I don't like it here, I feel like I'm being constantly watched or something. . ." the baboon informed her friend.

Darla was just about to respond but was cut off when the sound of the door that read **FRONT OFFICE** slithered its way into her ears. A chill ran up Darla's spine as she watched the translucent door open slightly. The fur on the back of her head stood up as if she felt like something was creeping up behind her. Darla quickly looked behind her back, only to find that no one was ever behind her.

"How may I help you?" a female voice inquired.

Darla jumped out of her skin at the sudden sound of the feminine voice. "Oh, Jesus!" she jolted.

"Oh, sorry, did I scare ya?" the female badger asked.

"No, I just freaked myself out. . ." Darla sighed, placing a paw on her chest.

"I do apologize. Now, what can I help you two with?" the badger smiled, which Jillian could tell was forced.

"My friend and I were traveling to go see our friend who lives in Wichita when all of a sudden; our car broke down just down the road. We were wondering we could use your phone to call a tow company?" Jillian answered.

The badger's smile faded. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, I really am. Glad you two are okay, but I'm afraid I have some bad news: this whole area is a dead zone, we can't make or receive calls from anyone, and the nearest towing service is seventy miles back that way." the badger gravely informed.

Jillian's heart sunk, "What?!"

"I'm sorry." the badger frowned.

Jillian looked at her friend, "Well, now what are we going to do?"

Darla stood quiet, not knowing how to respond to that question.

"Here, how about you two check into a room and I'll have one of my friends drive to the nearest towing service to come and get you guys? You two could be out of here and with your friend back at Wichita in no time. Whaddaya say?" the badger asked the two ladies.

Jillian was about to speak but was cut off by Darla. "How much is it?"

"Wait, Darla, you're not serious, are you?" she brought Darla closer, "I've got a bad feeling about this place. . ."

"Like I said, you'll be out of here in no time. Just check in for the night, catch your breath and relax. Hell, I'll even give you a thirty percent discount." the badger negotiated.

"We'll take it." Darla responded before Jillian could open her mouth.

"Fantastic!" the badger exclaimed as she turned around and searched for a room key on the large wooden key rack.

Jillian glared at her friend. "You got a better idea?" Darla asked, annoyed.

"Don't worry," the badger started as she grabbed the key to Room 21, "this place'll grow on you." the badger smiled. "I'll show you to your room."

. . .

The auburn badger lead the two baboons down the motel's outdoor hallway, passing rooms one through eight. The row of rooms was on their left side as the parking lot was to their right. Pinkish metallic pillars ran parallel to the single row of rooms to support the two balconies the motel had, which made Jillian feel uneasy as they looked as if they could give way at any moment.

The trio walked up the only staircase that lead to the other levels of the motel. Dirt and gravel fell through the openings between each step, showing that they haven't been cleaned for weeks. The rusting metal railing made Darla cringe when she rubbed her paw on it when climbing. They took a left turn, passing rooms seventeen through twenty. The loud moans of pleasure emitted by a woman and the rapid squeaking of bed springs leaked through the door of Room 19 as they passed by it, causing Jillian and Darla to look at each other in disgust when the badger didn't think much about it.

The badger fitted the key into the lock and opened the door for the guests, "Here's where you'll be staying," the badger smiled.

Darla walked inside, being greeted with a single queen sized bed that came prepared with tan sheets. Two nightstands with their own small lamps were situated on each side of the bed. A wooden dresser with a large oblong mirror was positioned on the front left corner of the room. The two baboons slowly walked inside, being greeted with even more surprises. A small plastic sink coupled with a small counter top and its own drawer was fixed on the ivory colored wall on the far left corner of the room. The bathroom was just opposite to the small sink and a small garment rack was located on the left side of the bed, which was positioned on the bathroom's wall to serve as a 'closet'.

Darla looked back at the badger. "Here?" she questioned.

"Yep," the female badger simply replied. "If you have any concerns, just pick up the phone over on your nightstand."

"I thought you said the phones don't work?" Jillian questioned, raising a brow.

"Oh, the motel's got its own lines running beneath the foundation. You can only call the main officer, but nowhere else, I'm afraid." the badger quickly replied. "Oh, and the name's Stacy." Stacy smiled before closing the door.

 **:**

Jillian threw her bag on the stiff bed, which seemed to kick up dust when she did so. "This is what your idea of 'fun' is?" Jillian mocked before heading towards the bathroom. Before Darla could reply, Jillian slammed the bathroom door.

Darla sighed. She walked over to her purse and grabbed her wallet, pulling out ones. The baboon walked over to the bathroom door, "I'm going to get something from the vending machine, do you want something? You have to be hungry by now." Darla inquired.

No response.

The baboon simply sighed and left the room. She walked down the balcony, past Room 19 again. Only this time, the door was open. She stopped in her tracks, fearing that she might run into a naked person. She slowly walked forward, sticking her head out, in order to see if anyone was in there. As her eyes passed the doorframe, they were met with a woman grabbing cleaning supplies from her cart of cleaning supplies.

Her mouth dropped at the horrific scene. Blood soaked the tan sheets and linens and coated the bed frame. Droplets of blood also decorated the walls and ceiling of the motel room. The maid looked up at Darla who was standing in the middle of the balcony, frozen and unable to move. She too, was a badger like Stacy but wore fur the color of mustard.

"Just a little accident, honey," the badger tried to reassure, "nothing to worry about." and went back to gathering up all the bed sheets and pillow cases.

Darla was finally able to gain control of her body, and continued her way down the balcony. She climbed down the steps, looking back up at Room 19 every once in a while. The fawn baboon made her way down the outdoor hallway where the vending machines were located. The images of the room above still played over and over in her mind, forever burned into her brain. She grabbed a dollar bill and tried to insert it into the machine, but her shaking paw prevented her from doing so.

She tried again, but to no avail, her paw only crumbled the dollar bill when trying to jam it into the money slot. Her breathing picked up. Her heart began beating faster and faster. Her chest tightened as she felt like something was watching her. She looked behind her back, quickly scanning the area and quickly turned her head back to the vending machine, only to drop her dollar bill when not paying attention.

She bent over and quickly grabbing the money that she dropped and came back up, locking eyes with the reflection of a naked woman who was standing right behind her, covered in blood and her organs slipping from her abdomen. The baboon screamed and turned around, only to find no one standing there.

The baboon placed her paw on her chest, her heart beating like a hummingbird. Her entire body tensed, her head aching from the sudden scare. She looked around, checking to see if anyone was around to see what had happened. Nobody. The maid didn't even come down to see what had happened or anything. Not even Stacy came out to check. She had had enough. She ran out of there, fearing something else might happen.

She climbed up the stairs, passing Room 19, and opened the door to her motel room. She quickly entered and slammed the door behind her.

"Jillian?" she called out, "Jillian, get your stuff, we're not staying here for another minute, we're leaving this shitshow." Darla shouted angrily, grabbing her suitcase full of her personal belongings. She stopped once she noticed that blood was running from under the bathroom door, soaking the red carpet.

Darla's heart skipped a beat. She slowly sat her luggage back down on the bed. She slowly made her way across the room, "Jillian?" she croaked.

No answer.

"Jillian? Are you okay?" Darla whimpered.

She placed her paw on the door and pushed, revealing an even bigger pool of blood with Jillian's body lying dead on the tiled floor. Her chest was torn open, her ribs protruding from her skin and her intestines wrapped around her neck. The worst part, Jillian's eyes were staring right back at Darla's.

Darla screamed at the top of her lungs in horror. That's when an arm shot up from the bed, making an already horrified Darla jump out of her skin. The demon's arm grabbed a hold on the sheets and padding and pulled, crawling its way out of the bed. Its body resembled that of a woman; its skin was made entirely out of an old mattress and had no eyes, just a layer of quilt covering its sockets. Its black hair was pulled back tight and her lips were coated with red lipstick. As it dragged itself out of the bed's mattress, the walls began to warp, several bodies pressed up against them, acting as if they were made out of bed linens instead of drywall. Using its claws, the demon dragged itself out of the bed, twitching violently and was constantly screeching, making Darla cover her ears out of the sheer intensity of the demon's screaming. It felt like hundreds of needles were jabbing each earlobe, melting her brain.

The lights in the room began to flicker, every time they'd turn back on, the demon would get closer and closer, almost making its movements look robotic. Darla sat in a corner, covering her ears, screaming, but her screaming was drowned out by all the chaos in the room until she was face to face with the demon. All Darla could remember were her own bloodcurdling screaming as darkness surrounded her and the demon's claws tearing into her chest and eyes as she was dragged into Hell.

All the lights in the motel stopped flickering. Stacy walked up the steps to Room 21 and placed a **DO NOT DISTURB** sign on the doorknob, whistling a tune before heading back to the main office.

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 **This is something that I've never tried be for: horror.**

 **I originally had this chapter at 12,000+ words in length, so I had to do the smart thing and cut it into separate little parts. Don't worry, Skipper, Marlene and all the core characters will appear on the next chapter. This was just the an introduction, or a prologue if you will. The real story starts in chapter two, which will come out in a couple of days.**

 **Before you leave a review or anything, just know this: everything here has a backstory. Everything has a purpose and everything here exists because of something that's happened in the past that you don't know about yet. It might all seem random and batshit crazy to you at first, but once I get into the actual story, everything will start to make sense, pieces start falling into place and you're going to be left mind blown by the end of all this madness. I don't really intend to scare people. If you were expecting jump scares (which I'm pretty sure you can't possibly do when it comes to literature), then I've got some bad news for you. I do intend on telling a compelling story with a lot of history and story behind it.**

 **That's also one of the biggest things to this story: history. There's so much history and lore and gah, you people are going to love it. Also, this'll be my first 'M' rated fanfic. You'll see why when we get into the story later on, hehe...**

 **This is my take on a horror story; and frankly, you have no idea what you're in for. Nothing can prepare you for what's about to happen next.**

 **This will also be the only author's note to this story. I have not and will not be talking about this story to anybody; nobody knows what the fuck this story's about. No one. You might think you know what you're reading, but let's just say, don't believe anything you read.**

 **Until next time... *heart emoji***


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